Start Saving Money With Simple Car Maintenance

Preventative Car Maintenance is the Best Way to Save Money

With the economy as it is today people are always looking for
ways to save money. There are lots of
ideas floating around the Internet suggesting ways to cut corners in your
everyday spending, teaching you how to save money in the long run. One area that simply cannot be cut however is
in the area of car maintenance.

An old
TV commercial once quoted a mechanic who was advertising oil filters as saying,
“You can pay me now, or pay me later.”
What he meant by that is, you can spend $50 on car maintenance and
replace your dirty oil filter today, or you will be paying me $500 to replace
your ruined fuel pump later.

Auto
maintenance is required if you drive a car. Spending several hundred dollars to
change an engine’s timing belt is far less expensive than spending the
thousands it would cost to rebuild the entire car engine. Preventative car
maintenance is a much better way for saving money in the long run when it comes
to car repair.

Car maintenance is the best way to save money!

Avoid costly repairs by practicing simple car maintenance now.

10 Money Saving Car Maintenance Ideas

Even though car maintenance is a must, there are some smart
ways to save money when you do it. Here are 10 money saving ideas when it comes
to auto maintenance.

1) Become familiar with your car owner’s manual- Probably
buried somewhere in the glove compartment of your car is a little book called
the owner’s manual. The owner’s manual
outlines the appropriate maintenance procedures and intervals to keep your car
in top condition. One of the first and
possibly most effective steps to proper car maintenance is to become familiar
with the factory recommended maintenance schedules for your particular
car. If you have misplaced your owner’s
manual you can buy one from your local car dealer or download it from your
automakers website.

2) Keep on Schedule- Most automakers suggest a “normal” or “severe
duty” schedule of auto maintenance required to keep your car running in top
shape. The more “severe duty” schedule
will require more frequent oil and fluid changes. It is important to honestly consider how you
use your car, and decide what the best car maintenance schedule is for you to
follow. Even if you don’t think you put
a lot of miles on your car, continued stop-and –go driving like you might
experience in larger cities may put your car in the “severe duty” category for
car maintenance.

3) Check your car’s oil level monthly- Even though
automakers usually recommend oil changes do be done at intervals of 5,000-7,000
miles it doesn’t excuse you from checking your car’s oil level more frequently,
or between changes. Approved Auto Repair
shops are reporting that they are seeing more cars coming in for oil changes
with their oil level being several quarts low on oil.
Low oil is a recipe for disaster when it comes to engine failure. Remember
it is normal for an older car to use more oil as it gets older, with even up to
one quart per every 1,000 miles.

4) Keep your coolant level up- When you check your oil level
each month, you should also make sure to check the coolant level at the same
time. You can look at your owner’s
manual to find out where the coolant reservoir is located on you
automobile. Look for signs of
seepage around the radiator and for cracks, or strange bulges, in the radiator
hoses. These signs may be a clue that
your car requires some preventative radiator maintenance.

Accessories for your car battery.

5) Check your car battery- Typically a car’s battery life is
about three to five years before it needs to be replaced. Some batteries have a charge indicator “eye”
which shows you if your battery is fully charged. Although this indicator is not always
accurate, the eye should be green if your battery is in good shape. Most batteries are sealed, but are not
entirely maintenance free like you might think.
One of the most common problems that can occur when it comes to your car
battery is the corrosion that can form on the battery terminals. If it looks like your terminals have grown
moss, gently scrub them with an old toothbrush and a 50-50 mix of water and
baking soda. Clean terminals allow for
your battery to have a solid connection.
Be sure your battery cables are tight to the terminals, and look for
cracks or fraying on any belts that drive the alternator or other engine components.

6) Check under your car- Make sure that you check the ground
after your car has been parked. Your car
holds a number of different kinds of fluids and theoretically all of them
should remain in your car, not leak on the ground. An occasional drop of engine oil or a trickle
of condensed water from the air conditioner is no cause for alarm, but puddles
of fluid is. Make sure the fluid on the ground is not yellow, green, red or
pink. These colors are signs of serious
issues with such components as breaks, transmission or cooling systems.

7) Change your filter regularly- It is important to change
your air and fuel filters regularly, with the higher emphasis on the fuel
filter. The most common cause for fuel
pump failure is because of a dirty fuel filter.
Also, make sure to fill your car with gas often to avoid running too low
on fuel. The ethanol in gasoline allows
for sediment to remain at the bottom of the tank causing sediment to form on
the fuel filter when used. This can be
prevented by not running on empty, and refilling more frequently. Air filters on the other hand are not as
critical to change as often. Research
has shown that fuel economy may even increase with a slightly dirty air filter.

Tire Pressure Gauges

8) Check your car’s tire pressure- Buy a gauge to check your
car’s tire pressure. Make sure the pressure
in the tires is what the automaker suggests in the owner’s manual. By maintaining proper tire pressure it will
prevent premature wear on your tires.
Proper tire pressure also increases your car’s handling ability and
braking capabilities. Don’t rely on the
gauge on the hose at the gas station to be accurate; it has been misused far
too many times. You can buy a gauge at
an auto parts store for about $5.00. If you car doesn’t have a tire-pressure
monitoring system consider replacing the valve stem caps with caps that warn
when the pressures are getting low. This
set of valve stem caps is usually under $20.00.

Car Cleaning Products to make your Car Shine

9) Maintain
the looks of your car- If you keep your car shining with frequent car washes,
and twice a year waxes, it will enhance the resale value of your car by
maintaining the interior and exterior of your car. You will also feel better about driving a
clean, shiny, car. A little touch up
paint, that you can purchase from the car dealer, will do wonders for small
chips and nicks in the paint too. Make
sure if you get a ding in your windshield from a rock or other flying object
that you get that crack filled immediately. If you
see a windshield repair specialist before the crack spreads, you may avoid the
costly replacement of the whole windshield later.

10) Get to know your mechanic or service technician- One of
the best things you can do is to build a relationship with your mechanic. The cost of repairs differs considerably
from shop to shop so make sure you do your homework when it comes to repair
service. Once you have found a mechanic
you can trust, take your car to be repaired there in the future. It is even a great idea to create a
relationship with a car dealership service person. Ask
for your preferred technician by name and only get your car maintenance
done with their care. The service technician will come to know you and take
better care of you when you develop a relationship with them. If your budget is limited they can help you
prioritize your maintenance and repair tasks.

Your car will thank you for practicing good car maintenance.

If you practice these ten steps of car maintenance you will
save money on your car repairs by avoiding costly problems. Stay informed with current car repair
information, and always try to follow the auto manufacturer’s suggestions with
maintenance schedules.

Be good to your
car, and your car will be good to you.

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Comments

No HTML is allowed in comments, but URLs will be hyperlinked. Comments are not for promoting your articles or other sites.

sending

Jeromeo

7 years agofrom Little Rock

Saw your hub referenced on mine and decided that I should put a link to your hub in mine, on; Why Its Important To Change Your Radiator Cap, Hope you approve.

Shannon Paulk

8 years ago

Great advice, prevention is the key to avoiding many costly repairs! And for those times you can't prevent, such as accidents, be sure you know what your warranty covers, and if you no longer have a warranty, look at buying an extended warranty. Nice hub!

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